Beckenham U18 Girls put in their best performance of the season so far, with a 10-35 victory on the road to Medway Scarlets capping off a great run of form which saw them beat Gravesend/Ashford 50-0 and Old Alleynians 17-10 last month.

It is a testament to the strength of the Girls section at Medway that they are able to field two separate teams in the U18 league. Beckenham made the trip to Rochester knowing this would be the toughest fixture of the season so far, but with a determination to bring intensity and commitment to the pitch. In the bright November sunshine and with a crowd watching on the show pitch, Medway opted to kick off and playing with the strong winds in their favour. Regaining possession, the hosts worked the ball out wide and were almost over the line when a thumping tackle from fly-half Abby stopped them in their tracks. They were able to keep the continuity going, however, and crossed the line a few phases later, the conversion kick falling short: 5-0

Abby's valiant effort in defence saw her forced to take some time off the pitch to recover, and the 14 players of Beckenham stepped up their game. Second row Lucy H stepped up to take the restart, and strong pressure from Beckenham took the ball ever closer to the Medway line. The hosts won back possession, but fumbled the ball in their in-goal area and quick-thinking from Lucy H saw her dot the ball down for Beckenham's opening try. Multi-talented forward Morgan, already playing out of position at loosehead prop, showed her versatility by slotting the ball between the uprights to take the conversion: 5-7

Confidence buoyed by the early lead, Beckenham kept up the intensity. The forwards were playing their first fixture of contested scrums in more than two years, and capably held their own against the larger Medway pack. Winning a penalty inside the Medway 22 and anticipating a close battle, Beckenham opted for the shot at the posts, which the wind cruelly blew just wide. Fortunately, Beckenham were able to retain possession from the 22 drop out and went back on the attack, with fullback Funto getting hold of the ball and scything through the defence to score under the posts. Abby, back on the pitch and pulling the strings at fly half, took the conversion easily: 5-14

You could see the realisation begin to dawn on Beckenham that, rather than just putting up a good fight, they could actually win this fixture. With captain Emily leading from the front at scrum half, dogging her opposite number (and the rest of the back line) from every scrum, the ball found its way into Funto's hands again who cemented her player of the match performance with a second try under the posts, converted by Abby: 5-21.

The rest of the first half continued with similar levels of energy but no further score: flankers Lucy T and Phoebe (newly promoted from the backline) were putting in the hits across the park, the line out was working like clockwork with hooker Charlotte's throws easily finding the safe hands of the high-jumping Sasha H, and with wingers Ellis and Megan working hard in defence to keep the home side out.

As the second half got underway, Beckenham took the advantage of playing with the wind at their backs and the confidence that comes from a clear two-score lead. Beckenham were keen to keep the momentum from the first half, and the continued hard work from the forward pack, particularly from second row Sasha W and out-of-position Viv, playing at tighthead prop but still all over the park in the loose, meant the visitors retained the upper hand. A powerful run from outside centre Mia saw her cross the line, still carrying one or two defenders with her, for the first points of the second half, converted once again by Abby: 5-28.

Medway restarted with a kick directly to Sasha H - some might argue that was a mistake, as she wove her way through the defenders to bring Beckenham straight back into the Medway half. Possession secured, the ball found its way to inside centre Danae who, as she had all game, used her power and pace to storm through the Medway defence and cross the line for a well-deserved try and the bonus point, Abby adding the extras like clockwork: 5-35

The game continued, with some handling errors allowing the home side to work their way into the Beckenham half and almost across the try line, Beckenham's defence saving the try but conceding a knock-on. A high pressure scrum in any scenario but particularly with an inexperienced pack, but they held their own. An admirable defence effort followed, but sustained pressure from the home team saw them find a way to cross the line for their second score, although with the wind now against them, it remained unconverted: 10-35

A mid-field scrum saw a collapse and an injury to prop Morgan, who left the field. Playing with 14 players and uncontested scrums, Beckenham dug their heels in and neither side was able to find a way to score again, the final whistle blowing to mark a fantastic win for Beckenham. A real team performance, but with her running lines and vision, slick handling, and brace of tries, Funto was player of the match.

Beckenham Rugby Football Club

Match details

Match date

Kickoff

Location

Login